Legion Fam Spotlight: Christian Brito
March 2019 vs March 2020
Not only has so much changed personally for me in this last year but look at how much the world has changed.
Last year at this time I started a journey that I had been telling myself i’d start for years and years. I lacked motivation, I lacked a reason, I lacked a “Why”.
With the help of some of the best friends you can ask for, I began my journey pushing the 315lbs benchmark (and i’m being generous). wearing a men’s big and tall 3XL and a waist size of 42. I knew it was time for a change, but that alone isn’t enough to keep you going in the long run. You see, when you find your “Why” you have something that will keep you going in the long run because we can always find a moment of motivation but to keep that going is the hardest part.
The biggest lesson I learned and the biggest lesson I can give you that is truly a valuable life lesson is to be coachable. How? Be willing to learn, be willing to be a sponge, and be willing to take criticism and learn from it. I knew nothing about working out. So I had to throw away any ego I had and listen to the advice given to me by friends.
Whether you are trying to lose weight, gain weight, gain muscle, whatever it is you’re trying to do don’t get obsessed with the number on the scale, that doesn’t define who you are. Instead, get obsessed with the process of trying to become the best version of yourself and the results will follow. The results come quickly for some and longer for others but understand that the results will always come as long as you keep putting in the work. You can cheat a lot of things but you cannot cheat the grind, ever.
A year later, I’ve shed over 100lbs and yet I find myself more motivated then ever because of my “Why.” We all have a “Why.” It just comes down to you being honest with yourself and willing to accept your flaws. Once you find your “Why” you’ll see you can accomplish so many things you thought were impossible whether that be in the gym or at work or really with whatever.
When it comes to “dieting” you have to find what not only works for you but also what realistically will work for you long term. for me, I found the 80/20 rule to be the best. If I could eat as clean as possible 80% of the time I had my motivation to earn that 20% of the time where I could eat whatever my heart desires such as pizza, ice cream, italian beefs, etc. This might not work for everyone but for me it has definitely been the most effective. Find what works for you and stick with that!
At the end of the day, life is short, don’t punish yourself for having 2 “cheat days” in one week. Don’t punish yourself for “overeating” because those set bad standards for the rest of your life. Instead, move on, work hard tomorrow, and focus on becoming 1% better because when you add it up in the end that’s going to make the difference.
-Christian Brito